The Honest Guide to Mindfulness, Part 3

By Leo Babauta

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It’ll show you all your “faults.” You’ll learn through mindfulness practice that you’re not as disciplined(ˈdisəˌplind) as you’d like to be. You’re not as tough(təf), competent(ˈkämpətənt), skilled, exceptional. This will become clear as you practice.

You’ll come face-to-face with all of your demons(ˈdēmən). And then you’ll make friends with them.

You’ll start to think other people should be more mindful … and you’ll be wrong. As you start to get “better” at mindfulness, and more and more aware of your habits and patterns and thoughts … as you drop into the present more often … it will become clearer when other people aren’t being mindful. And you might think they should be practicing too, that they should put their phones down and be more present. You’ll think you know how others should be mindful, because you’ve learned a thing or two.

And then you’ll realize that judging others and thinking you know how others should behave is just your mind’s old pattern of judging and trying to get control. You’ll learn to let that go too, sometimes … and when you do, that’s when you’ll become more open to connecting with others vulnerably(ˈvəln(ə)rəb(ə)l).

It requires more than mindfulness. As you practice, you’ll find that mindfulness by itself isn’t the answer to everything. It doesn’t magically(ˈmajək(ə)lē) solve any problems. It’s a powerful practice, and can bring wonderful awareness to your life. But sometimes that awareness is of all the terrible things you’re feeling, all the harsh(härSH) thoughts you have about yourself, all the harsh thoughts you have about other people or the world around you. Awareness doesn’t always feel good! And it doesn’t solve everything.

Mindfulness is only part of the work. The work also requires compassion(kəmˈpaSHən) — for yourself and others. It requires vulnerability and the ability to open your heart. It requires honesty(ˈänəstē) and the willingness to face things. It requires being willing to love things as they are, without needing to control things. It requires letting go of what you think things should be like, letting go of what you think you should have or shouldn’t have. The work requires you to be willing to be curious, to be open, to remain(rəˈmān) in not knowing.

It is beautiful work, and requires courage(ˈkərij). I am learning along with you, and am glad to be on this journey with a fellow explorer(ikˈsplôrər).

https://zenhabits.net/honest-mindfulness/

These 6 Types of Music Are Known to Dramatically(drəˈmadəklē) Improve Productivity

Just another example of how much you gain(gān) by listening.

By Deep Patel

Music isn’t just a means of entertaining(ˌentərˈtāniNG) ourselves: it can also encourage creativity and help us become more productive. Listening to music can also be therapeutic(ˌTHerəˈpyo͞odik), relieving feelings of stress so you can concentrate(ˈkänsənˌtrāt) better.

Research has found that certain types of music can be beneficial(ˌbenəˈfiSHəl) to us while we work. Some types of music seem to help with learning and improve our ability to process information. Other types help block out distracting(dəsˈtraktiNG) background noise(noiz). Still other types sync with our brain waves(wāv) to induce “eureka(yo͝oˈrēkə,yə-) moments.”

So, if you’re struggling with productivity and want to know what you should be listening to, read on. These are the six types of music that will give you a major boost in productivity.

1. Classical Music

Researchers have long claimed that listening to classical music can help people perform tasks more efficiently. This theory, which has been dubbed(dəb) “the Mozart Effect,” suggests that listening to classical composers(kəmˈpōzər) can enhance brain activity and act as a catalyst(ˈkad(ə)ləst) for improving health and well-being. Various studies have confirmed that listening to classical music enhances one’s ability to manipulate(məˈnipyəˌlāt) shapes(SHāp) and solve spatial(ˈspāSHəl) puzzles(ˈpəzəl).

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2. Nature Music

Listening to the sounds of nature, like waves crashing or a babbling(ˈbabəl) brook(bro͝ok), has been shown to enhance cognitive function and concentration(ˌkänsənˈtrāSHən). Nature sounds work best when they’re soothing(ˈso͞oT͟HiNG) sounds, such as flowing(ˈflōiNG) water or rainfall, while more jarring(ˈjäriNG) noises such as bird calls and animal noises can be distracting.

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3. Cinematic(ˌsinəˈmadik) Music

An intense(inˈtens) film score can make you feel like you’re doing something inspiring(inˈspīriNG) or important, even if you’re just chipping(CHip) away at your to-do list. A grandiose(ˈgrandēˌōs,ˌgrandēˈōs), epic(ˈepik) soundtrack playing in the background may make even the most mundane(ˌmənˈdān) tasks feel like you’re changing the world, thus heightening(ˈhītn) your concentration and productivity.

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/325492

Your heroes(ˈhi(ə)rō) show which way you’re facing

By Derek Sivers

People with many interests often ask my advice on which industry or career path they should follow.

Years ago, I felt I was just a programmer and entrepreneur(-ˈnər,ˌäntrəprəˈno͝or). Yes sometimes I write a tiny blog post sharing what I’ve learned, but that’s just something on the side.

But something never felt quite right about this. I spend most of my time writing, very little time programming, and hadn’t(ˈhadnt) started a business in years. Still, I kept saying I was a programmer and entrepreneur, and felt I should really spend more time doing it.

But everything changed when I asked myself a question:

“Who are my heroes?”

I thought, wrote them down, then realized they were all authors! Basically, look at my list of favorite books, and there are my heroes.

The people I look up to the most… The people I’d most like to meet… The people I’d most like to emulate(ˈemyəˌlāt) are not entrepreneurs, and not programmers — just writers.

So, that day, I realized I actually want to be a writer.

I re-arranged(əˈrānj) my hierarchy(ˈhī(ə)ˌrärkē) of interests. Yes I enjoy programming, and yes I’ll probably start another business. But really my main(mān) love and top priority is writing.

How about you? Who are your heroes? Does that help you see which way you’re actually facing?

https://sivers.org/hf

The truth behind filter bubbles(ˈbəbəl): Bursting(bərst) some myths(miTH)

Many voices warn that social media may be filtering out news that we dislike. Here’s what the research says about it

By Dr. Richard(ˈriCHərd) Fletcher(ˈfleCHər)

A filter bubble is a state of intellectual(ˌin(t)əˈlek(t)SH(o͞o)əl) or ideological(ˌīdēəˈläjəkəl, ˌidēəˈläjəkəl) isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən) that may result from algorithms feeding us information we agree with, based on our past behaviour(biˈhāvyər) and search history. It’s a pretty popular term that was coined(koin) by Internet activist(ˈaktivəst) Eli(ˈēlī) Pariser, who wrote about a book about it. However, as our Senior(ˈsēnyər) Research Fellow Richard Fletcher said in one of our recent seminars(ˈseməˌnär), academic research on the subject tells a different story about filter bubbles. Here’s an edited transcript of that talk.

What is a filter bubble? Is it the same as an echo(ˈekō) chamber(ˈCHāmbər)?

People use services like Facebook, Twitter and Apple News to get their news. Some of the news that people see when they’re using these platforms has been selected automatically by algorithms. Algorithms made this selection by using data that have been collected by platforms, based on our past use, and also data that we voluntarily(ˈvälənˌterəlē,ˌvälənˈte(ə)rəlē) give to platforms. Of course, the fear is that this could reinforce existing consumption patterns.

I personally think that echo chambers and filter bubbles are slightly different. An echo chamber is what might happen when we are overexposed to news that we like or agree with, potentially distorting(dəˈstôrt) our perception(pərˈsepSHən) of reality because we see too much of one side, not enough of the other, and we start to think perhaps that reality is like this.

Filter bubbles describe a situation where news that we dislike or disagree with is automatically filtered out and this might have the effect of narrowing what we know. This distinction is important because echo chambers could be a result of filtering or they could be the result of other processes, but filter bubbles have to be the result of algorithmic(ˌalɡəˈriT͟Hmik) filtering.

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https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/risj-review/truth-behind-filter-bubbles-bursting-some-myths

Simple Acts of Courage

By Steve Pavlina

One way to train your courage muscles(ˈməsəl) is simply to decide that you’re going to lean(lēn) in a courageous(kəˈrājəs) direction when the opportunity arises(əˈrīz). Don’t worry about big, bold acts that require an 8+ level of courage on a 1-10 scale(skāl). Instead look for some 3s and 4s that you can do more easily.

When you lean towards these easier opportunities to exercise courage, it can help those 8s, 9s, and 10s seem more accessible(akˈsesəbəl), like they’re 1-2 notches(näCH) lower than before. Moreover, the 5s, 6s, and 7s will start to feel more accessible too.

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Building momentum(mōˈmentəm,mə-) with baby steps can be more powerful than we realize, not just with courage but with other personal growth improvements as well. Imagine starting with an easy courage challenge and building up to actually doing one that you framed(frāmd) as impossible in only 10 minutes. Can that be done? Of course.

Time-wise(wīz) many courage challenges take only seconds. How long does it take to perform an act of courage in your daily life?

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Try this as a simple exercise: Pick a value you desire to improve your alignment(əˈlīnmənt) with. Then invite reality to provide(prəˈvīd) some relatively easy challenges that you can accept within the next few days. When you spot one of those challenges, lean in with action. Give reality the benefit of the doubt when you’re wondering if you’ve spotted one.

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If you don’t consciously lean towards your values, you’ll be nudged(nəj) to lean in directions that may not serve you as well. For instance, you’ll find yourself leaning into action with easy and accessible breadcrumbs(ˈbredˌkrəm) online, and soon you’re flowing into more immersive(iˈmərsiv) actions that may be misaligned(ˌmisəˈlīnd) with your values. This can cost you time and energy that you’d rather invest elsewhere.

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https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2020/02/simple-acts-of-courage/

40

It wasn’t that long ago when forty seemed really old. And today I turn forty.

As a child I assumed that I would have everything figured out by the time I was an adult, but my years of adulthood have brought as many new questions as answers. Maybe the questions are what keeps life interesting.

A lot has happened since I turned thirty. Most significantly, I became a father, which led(led) to my leaving my company, traveling around the world, and taking my career in new directions. My children have helped to keep my sense of wonder alive, and they motivate(ˈmōdəˌvāt) me to try harder every day.

The hair on my head seems to be slowly leaving me, and my knees(nē) hurt more than they used to, but I’m generally quite(kwīt) healthy, and I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful for my family and friends, and for the folks(fōk) who come to my Morning Reading Club each day to practice.

I’m excited(ikˈsīdəd) for the next decade. I hope that by the time I’m fifty I’ll have lived in another country for an extended period(ˈpi(ə)rēəd) of time, learned a new language, published a book, and learned to play the piano. Mostly, though, I hope for quality time with family and friends.

Confucius(kənˈfyo͞oSHəs) apparently(əˈparəntlē,əˈpe(ə)r-) reached some kind of clarity by the time he was forty. I’m not sure if I have that, but maybe I’ll catch up to Confucius over the coming decades and be able to 随心所欲 by the time I’m seventy.

keeping learning going

By Henry H. Walker

as schools transition(-ˈsiSHən,tranˈziSHən), for a time,
from being in a classroom together,
to being physically distant(ˈdistənt) from each other,
each of us in a separate(ˈsep(ə)rət) house,
accompanied(əˈkəmp(ə)nē) by a sterile(ˈsterəl) computer,
what are we losing?

much of who we are as humans is of the herd(hərd)—
the other who supports us, who challenges us,
who is a necessary, imperfect mirror(ˈmirər)
to let us know we have worth,
that a direction(dəˈrekSH(ə)n, dīˈrekSH(ə)n) we are going
should be supported or varied(ˈve(ə)rēd),

I think of the shock a newborn feels,
as oneness with the ocean(ˈōSHən) of the womb(wo͞om)
is lost in the birth canal(kəˈnal)
and the shock of colder air out in the world,

school can be that shock(SHäk), too,
as we discover who we are, and who we aren’t,
essaying(ˈesā) a sense(sens) of self within the classroom,
risking(risk) an idea, a writing, a movement, an assertion(əˈsərSHən),
finding a “voice,” unique to us,
that can survive, and thrive,
or in a worst case, be silenced,
it is the aggregation(ˌaɡrəˈɡāSH(ə)n) of individuals into a group
that can somehow allow the individuals to find themselves,
appreciate themselves, like themselves, love themselves,
when it all works,

I feel best about my classes continuing for a time,
with us separated for safety,
when the class has had time together
for them to know each other, the curriculum(kəˈrikyələm), and themselves,
when I have had time to tend(tend) the flock(fläk),
to care for each of them,
to do my best to fashion(ˈfaSHən) a web of knowing and support,

for weeks I can imagine each of them
well rising(ˈrīziNG) to the challenge
of interacting with the novel(ˈnävəl), the idea,
the reality beyond them,
creating the story, the essay, the project,
asserting(əˈsərt) self, and letting me support that assertion,
as the product wends(wend) its way to me,
and my reactions back to them,

such a distance between teacher and student
works better with the connection already established,
I will have to work harder with a class
with whom I have had but a few weeks to connect.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2020/03/keeping-learning-going.html

Five Years Old

By 王渊源John

Dear Joe(jō),

Today is your fifth birthday. You’re five years old! I can’t believe it. It seems like just yesterday that your mom and I were going for walks downstairs(ˈdounˈste(ə)rz) talking about what it would be like to have a baby join our family.

Well, it’s been more wonderful than we ever could have imagined. We fell in love with you the first moment that we saw you, and it has been an absolute(ˈabsəˌlo͞ot,ˌabsəˈlo͞ot) privilege(ˈpriv(ə)lij) to watch you grow up to be such a kind, thoughtful, curious(ˈkyo͝orēəs) and fun boy.

You were born in Beijing, and spent most of the first year of your life here. Then, shortly before your first birthday, we left Beijing and went on adventures together around the world. Your first steps were in a ramen(ˈrämən) shop in Kyoto(kēˈ(y)ōdō), and you made friends in restaurants, AirBnbs, museums(myo͞oˈzēəm) and playgrounds in each city we visited. You may not remember the details, but we watched you grow and learn.

For the last couple of years, we’ve been back in Beijing, and you’ve continued to explore and make friends in and out of school. Your brother was born last year, and you have been the most incredible brother that we could have ever imagined. We love to see the love that the two of you share.

Recently, we’ve all been home together. Sometimes it’s been hard to not be able to go out and play or see friends from school, but we’ve also been so grateful(ˈgrātfəl) to have this time together as a family.

You’re five years old now, and you will continue to learn so many new things. I hope you always remember to be curious and kind. We are so excited(ikˈsīt) to keep learning with you.

Love,
Dad

Italians(iˈtalyən) Find ‘a Moment of Joy in This Moment of Anxiety(aNGˈzīədē)’

Under lockdown to prevent(prəˈvent) the spread(spred) of the coronavirus(kəˈrōnəˌvīrəs), song breaks out from rooftops, balconies(ˈbalkənē) and windows.

By Jason Horowitz

It started with the national anthem(ˈanTHəm). Then came the piano chords(kôrd), trumpet(ˈtrəmpət) blasts(blast), violin(ˌvīəˈlin) serenades(ˌserəˈnād) and even the clanging(klaNG) of pots(pät) and pans — all of it spilling(spil) from people’s homes, out of windows and from balconies, and rippling(ˈripəl) across rooftops.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, a nationwide round of applause(əˈplôz) broke out for the doctors on the medical(ˈmedək(ə)l) front lines fighting the spread of Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

“It was from our hearts, to say thanks and show that we can get past this,” said Emma Santachiara, 73, who came out onto the terrace(ˈterəs) of her apartment in the Monteverde section of Rome(rōm) to clap with her granddaughters.

Italians remain essentially under house arrest(əˈrest) as the nation, the European front in the global fight against the coronavirus, has ordered extraordinary restrictions(rəˈstrikSH(ə)n) on their movement to prevent contagions(kənˈtājən).

As of Saturday, the virus(ˈvīrəs) had infected more than 21,000 Italians and left more than 1,400 dead, according to national officials — the worst toll(tōl) reported anywhere outside of China. Italy has closed all of its schools, bars and restaurants, and restricted(rəˈstrikt) movement for anything other than work, health or the procurement(prō-,prəˈkyo͝ormənt) of essentials.

But the cacophony(kəˈkäfənē) erupting(əˈrəpt) over the streets, from people stuck in their homes, reflects the spirit, resilience(rəˈzilyəns) and humor(ˈ(h)yo͞omər) of a nation facing its worst national emergency since the Second World War.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/world/europe/italians-find-a-moment-of-joy-in-this-moment-of-anxiety.html

When a Man Took a Joke in a Pepsi Ad Seriously(ˈsi(ə)rēəslē), Chaos Ensued(enˈso͞o)

Matt Parker on the Time Someone Tried to Buy a
Jet Plane Using Pepsi Points

By Matt Parker

In 1995 Pepsi ran a promotion where people could collect Pepsi Points and then trade them in for Pepsi Stuff. A T‑shirt was 75 points, sunglasses were 175 points, and there was even a leather(ˈleT͟Hər) jacket(ˈjakət) for 1,450 points. Wearing all three at once would get you some serious 1990s points.

The TV commercial where they advertised the points‑for‑stuff concept featured someone doing exactly that.

But the people making the commercial wanted to end it on some zany(ˈzānē) bit of “classic Pepsi” craziness(ˈkrāzēnəs). So wearing the T‑shirt, shades(SHād), and leather jacket, the ad protagonist(prōˈtaɡənəst, prəˈtaɡənəst) flies his Harrier(ˈharēər) Jet to school. Apparently(əˈparəntlē,əˈpe(ə)r-), this military(ˈmiləˌterē) aircraft could be yours for 7 million Pepsi Points.

The joke is simple enough: they took the idea behind Pepsi Points and extrapolated(ikˈstrapəˌlāt) it until it was ridiculous(rəˈdikyələs). Solid comedy writing. But then they seemingly didn’t do the math. Seven million sure does sound like a big number, but I don’t think the team creating the ad bothered to run the numbers and check that it was definitely big enough.

But someone else did. At the time, each AV‑8 Harrier II Jump Jet brought into action cost the United States Marine(məˈrēn) Corps over $20 million and, thankfully, there is a simple way to convert between USD and PP: Pepsi would let anyone buy additional points for 10 cents each. Now, I’m not familiar with the market for second-hand military aircraft, but a price of $700,000 on a $20 million aircraft sounds like a good investment. As it did to John(jän) Leonard(ˈlenərd), who tried to cash in on this.

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https://lithub.com/when-a-man-took-a-joke-in-a-pepsi-ad-seriously-chaos-ensued/